January 07, 2013

Clerk of the Supreme Court to retire in August

William K. Suter, the clerk of the U.S. Supreme Court, will retire at the end of August after 22 years of service.

Suter, the 19th person to serve as clerk, joined the Court in 1991. Before taking that position, he was an Army judge advocate who retired with the rank of major general. While in the Army, he served in numerous positions around the world, including,
appellate judge, deputy staff judge advocate of the U.S. Army in Vietnam, staff judge advocate of the 101st Airborne Division, commandant of the JAG School, and the assistant judge advocate general of the Army. His military awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, the Bronze Star Medal, and the Parachutist Badge.

Suter, 75, joined the Army in 1962 and last year marked his 50th year in public service. He will step down as clerk on August 31.

"My colleagues and I are grateful to Bill Suter for his exceptional service to the Court," said Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. in a statement announcing the retirement. "His retirement later this year will mark the completion of an exemplary career of public service in both the military and civilian life."

Suter is a graduate of Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, and the Tulane University Law School. He attended Trinity on a basketball scholarship and Tulane on an academic scholarship. He was on the Tulane Law Review and was elected to the Order of the Coif. He is a graduate of the Judge Advocate General’s School Graduate Course, the Command and General Staff College, and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces.

Comments

All that has been and will be said about Bill Suter as a lawyer, a leader, and Army officer surely is echoed by everyone who has known Bill. Additionally, he is a fine man and gentleman, a true friend, and a unwaveringly faithful and responsive member and supporter of the Federal Bar Association. He has traveled the country and visited virtually every local chapter of the FBA in response to invitations to speak, to participate in seminars and receptions, to perform admission ceremonies acknowledging the Court's preceding rulings on motions to admit, etc. One of my singular pleasures as National President of the FBA was to present to Bill, at the FBA's Annual Meeting and Convention, the Earl Kintner Award -- the association's most prestigious award -- in recognition of his unparalleled service to the FBA and to the legal community. On occasion of your retirement, Bill, we all join together: WELL DONE, AND MANY, MANY THANKS FOR YOUR SERVICE AND FRIENDSHIP!!

Bill Suter was the Commandant of the US Army Judge Advocate General's School at UVA when I attended the graduate course there and he was not only a fine lawyer but he was an exceptional leader and Army officer. Other than the fact he took merciless advantage of his rank and position to make jokes about me and my fellow Marine students without letting us respond in kind he was the kind of officer who makes his subordinates better.